tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post2000780695327684704..comments2024-03-28T06:54:57.473+02:00Comments on Kotzk Blog: 295) WHY DO WE SAY SELICHOS? Rabbi Gavin Michalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410541880380752479noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-78333586750007029772020-09-23T02:34:30.574+02:002020-09-23T02:34:30.574+02:00Are there any good commentaries or academic papers...Are there any good commentaries or academic papers on slichot in English?Melbournianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13501271919560856247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-29775096172145555052020-09-22T21:48:37.032+02:002020-09-22T21:48:37.032+02:00Shemer Isbitts
I only attempt small amounts - thos...Shemer Isbitts<br />I only attempt small amounts - those that invoke meaning and try to connect to the Almighty -zehuAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18197013773242902056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-74320526647102596382020-09-22T16:43:45.887+02:002020-09-22T16:43:45.887+02:00L., I couldn't agree with you more. One thing,...L., I couldn't agree with you more. One thing, when you wrote:<br /><br />> "...better to have things written on high levels, which people can strive to understand, and have the prayers and passages hopefully grow on them over time, than going downward to the level of the not so highly educated masses, leaving little or nothing to strive and rise up to later."<br /><br />I would observe that it's possible to be both exalted *and* simple. Just look at the magnificent work the אנשי כנסת הגדולה did with our core prayers.Boruch Clintonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03864323537094915871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-21780474229758151942020-09-21T19:57:13.120+02:002020-09-21T19:57:13.120+02:00Good post!
Perhaps in the old days not as many סל...Good post!<br /><br />Perhaps in the old days not as many סליחות were said. One local area may have had one סליחה, written by a local גדול, one פזמון perhaps, and other areas different ones, by their local gedolim. Over time, and with the advent of printing, publishers could have collected different versions and put them together, making for a larger collection, and making people think that they needed to say "everything" to be יוצא.<br /><br />People should say less and with more כוונה, rather than the reverse. Although this advice is right in the beginning of שו"ע או"ח it is unfortunately ignored or not taken seriously by far too many. But some still take it into account. In ישיבת רבנו חיים ברלין in NY, I understand that they say only one סליחה on a typical עשי"ת day, or some similar הנהגה. Additionally, people should study what they are saying, before, or at least during the Selichos.<br /><br />As to the question of who they were written for, well, our liturgy was written by great men on very high levels, the thinking being that better to have things written on high levels, which people can strive to understand, and have the prayers and passages hopefully grow on them over time, than going downward to the level of the not so highly educated masses, leaving little or nothing to strive and rise up to later.<br /><br />טוב מעט בכוונה מהרבות בלא כוונהL.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11832705936602652881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-75668129736399871472020-09-21T19:02:07.591+02:002020-09-21T19:02:07.591+02:00I found your post meaningful as we got a letter fr...I found your post meaningful as we got a letter from the police permitting us to break curfew last Saturday night at chatzos. I was wondering if it was really necessary to engage government for a special dispensation and risk creating a chillul haShem in the eyes of those who saw us driving but did not know about the letters in the cubby - for something like selichos which anyway we could have said at 4 am when the curfew lifted.Kotzk Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249905502266813412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5576585332526677688.post-31826755554048792922020-09-21T09:53:15.793+02:002020-09-21T09:53:15.793+02:00In other words, how is slichos to get us emotional...In other words, how is slichos to get us emotional by reading medieval poetry?Yybturnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12475392082466169051noreply@blogger.com